Diversity and Culture

Create your own survey to measure prejudice. Your survey should have 10 questions.
Administer your survey to at least two people and yourself.
Write a 200- to 300-word essay answering the following questions:
â€¢ Do you believe that it is difficult to measure prejudice? Why or why not?
â€¢ Did your survey results surprise you or the participants surveyed? Why or why not?

There used to be a "Nonesuch" test, which asked something like, "Out of 100 people in each category, how many would have to be present before you would feel uncomfortable?"

The categories included all sorts of races, nationalities, religions and ethnic groups. However, within these categories were three "Nonesuch" groups — Danerian, Wallerian and another that I cannot remember.

They found that the level of acceptance of the Nonesuch groups corresponded closely to the level of low acceptance of various outgroups for that person. This is just one attempt to measure prejudice. This led the researchers to conclude that the prejudices were — to a great extent — a function of the perceiver's suspicions of unknown groups in contrast to actual characteristics of the outgroups.

Other studies have shown that, as one gets to know outgroup members on an individual basis, usually prejudiced attitudes against that group tend to be reduced.

This is just one attempt to measure prejudice. I searched Google under the key words "prejudice measure" to get these possible sources:

I think prejudice is difficult to measure. Prejudice means to prejudge -- something I think we all do to some extent. We may prejudge a sloppy person as being careless; however that person may have been gardening or doing another dirty task.

So -- the first thing you need to do is have a clear definition of prejudice.